RainSong is a Hawaii-based company (in the process of moving to the mainland) that has been building its unique graphite/epoxy instruments since 1995, and earning a huge reputation for its instruments’ tone, appearance, durability, and quality.

The company’s WS 1000, one of its best-selling models, is a single-cutaway dreadnought/jumbo body made of woven graphite using what the company calls “projection tuned layering” construction to eliminate the need for braces in the body or on the soundboard. The neck is made of a graphite/epoxy mix with 21 nickel silver frets and a 13/4″ tusq nut.

The whole thing is topped with an abalone rosette, mother of pearl shark fretboard inlays, and a high-gloss UV protective urethane finish that gives the woven graphite a cool, three-dimensional look.

Playability
The WS 1000 has a warm, natural feel that hardcore fans of wooden instruments might not expect. It’s very light and comfortable to play, with a complex radius round-over on the back that rests quite comfortably your chest. Our test guitar earned bonus points for being set up very well, with good, strong action and a straight, level neck.

Sound
Because the RainSong has no internal bracing, it is loud, with outstanding projection. It throws clear, deep, bass and shimmering treble with a slight metallic quality. The mids were scooped, giving it a plugged-in sound.

The WS 1000 is equipped with the Fishman Blender, which had both a saddle pickup and internal mic. We got the best results using only the pickup, which reinforced the great acoustic quality of the guitar’s deep, tight, lows and glossy highs. The mic, on the other hand, seemed to detract from the guitar’s deep, rounded sound.

If there’s a nit to pick, it popped up in loud, live gig settings, where drastic EQ maneuvers (to the point of sucking out all tone) were required to control feedback from the instrument through the monitors. We tried to use a feedback buster (rubber plug for the soundhole), but the soundhole was too large.

Overall, the WS1000 offers a pleasing, deep, natural tone, quality feel, and excellent craftsmanship. It’s a great “alternative” in the high-end acoustic guitar market. –

RainSong WS 1000
Type Of Guitar: Single-cutaway jumbo dreadnought.
Features: Lightweight, durable woven graphite using “projection tuned layering” construction. Neck is made of a graphite/epoxy mix with nickel silver frets and tusq nut.
Price: $2,245
Contact: Rainsong, 1-800-788-5828, www.rainsong.com.